Hoisting and dumping apparatus.



A. ALLEN.

HOISTING AND DUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1912. 1,092,889. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES: l/VI/E/V TOR A TTOR/VE Y6 COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 60.,WASHINOTON.D. c.

ANDREWS ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HOISTING AND DUMPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1 1, 1914.

Application filed April 6, 1912. Serial No. 688,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREWS ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoisting and DumpingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hoisting and dumping apparatus in general andmore particularly to what is known as self-dumping cages adapted for usein mining operations where the loaded mine cars are run onto a hoistingcage which elevates them and dumps them into a suitable Weighing orscreening hopper.

Several types of mine cages have been in general use prior to my presentinvention but more or less difficulty and annoyance have beenexperienced in their operation because of certain defects in theconstruction which my present invention is designed to obviate.

One of the primary objects of the inven tion is the provision of astable cage, 2'. 6., a cage which can not be accidentally dumped whileit is being elevated in the hoisting tower or shaft until it reaches thedesired dumping position. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of mechanism wherebythe car on the cage can be dumpedeasily and slowly without abruptlythrowing the load out of balance and imposing severe jars and shocksupon the structure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cage having allthe mechanism located above the floor so that it will be necessary toprovide no sump beneath the cage. Heretofore the cage structure hasrequired a sump from 3 to 6 feet deep and if loaded cars run off thetrack and overturn into the sump great delay and expense is involved incleaning out the sump before operations can be resumed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentas the same is better understood by reference to the followingdescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which one preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.

Referring to the drawings-Figure l is a side elevation of a hoisting anddumping apparatus embodying my invention, the parts being shown in theposition which they assume when the cage is being elevated;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts just prior tothe dumping operation; and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the positionof the parts when the car is dumped.

On the drawings 5 indicates the guides between which the cage travels,said guides being supported in any well known or preerred manner, theparticular construction of the hoisting tower being immaterial so far asthe present invention is concerned. The cage comprises the usual top 6,a horizontal floor 7, the guideways 8 connecting the top and the floorand adapted to cooperate with the guides 5, and the cage sides 9. Aplatform 11 provided with the usual track rails 12 onto which the dumpcar 13 of any preferred construction is run is disposed above andsupported by the floor 7. The forward end of the platform 11 isslidingly and tiltably supported upon a transversely extending roller orrollers 14: journaled in the floor 7 adjacent the forward end thereof.Suitable mechanism, not shown, is provided for locking the car inposition on the platform. The platform is normally supported on thefloor during the raising and lowering movements of the cage inhorizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 and, since the platform issupported at each end it remains in a position of equilibrium andstability so that there is no possibility of the car being accidentallydumped in the mine shaft during the travel of the cage. Suitablehoisting mechanism, not shown, is employed for raising and lowering thecage.

The sides 9 of the cage are equipped adjacent their rear ends withcurved guides 15 in which guide rollers 16 mounted on the sides of theplatform 11 adjacent the rear end thereof are adapted to travel. Thecurvature of the guides 15 is such that the rear end of the platformfirst travels upwardly pivoting about the supporting roller 14 and thenthe whole platform, and the car carried thereby, is moved bodily forwardinto dumping position. The upper ends of the guides 15 are left open asshown to prevent injury to the construction in case of overwind. Theplatform 11 may also be provided with sides 17 which project upwardly oneither side of the loaded car and prevent the load from spilling 0E overthe sides. A pair of links 18 is pivoted to the tilting platformadjacent the rear end there- "these links also extending upwardly andbeing connected with the free ends of the links 18 by a transverselyextending rod or shaft 21. Upon the ends of the rod 21 is mounted a pairof guide rollers 22 and in termediate the ends of the rod a dumpingwheel 23 is fixed thereon.

-At a suitable position above the normal travel of the cage floor a pairof curved guides 2a is fixed to the framework of the hoisting structure.These guides as shown are open at their lower ends to receive the guiderollers 22 on the ends of the shaft 21 and are gradually curvedforwardly and upwardly so that the rollers will be directed forwardly asthe cage approaches the upper limit of its travel. From Fig. 1 it willbe observed that the lower ends of the guides 2st are disposed in thepath of the upward travel of the shaft 21 and in alinement with therollers 22 so that as the cage is elevated the rollers will enter thelower ends of the guides. Continue-d upward movement of the cage willcause the rollers to travel forwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2,

which movement, by reason of the connecting links 19 and 18, will causethe rear end of the tilting platform 11 to be elevated, the upwardtravel of the rear end of the platform being guided by the rollers 16traveling in the guides 15. By reason of the shape of the guides 15 and24 a slight continued upper movement of the cage beyond the position ofthe parts shown in Fig. 2 will cause the platform and the car carriedthereby to move forward very quickly into the dumping position shown inFig. 3, so that the forward or dumping end of the car will be positionedover the dumping plate 25. Vhen the tension upon the hoisting cables isreleased the platform will drop back to its normal horizontal position,the cage will travel down the guides 5 and the guide rollers 22 will bewithdrawn from the guides 24 as the cage moves down the shaft.

The dumping cars which are ordinarily used are equipped with a pivotallymounted front or door 26 which is adapted to be elevated to permit thecontents of the car to be discharged or dumped at the proper time. Forthe purpose of opening the dumping door quickly and positively when thecar has reached dumping position I have provided improved mechanismwhich I will now describe. A bell-crank lever comprising the curved arm27 and the normally horizontal arm 28 is suitably pivoted at 29 in thehoisting tower framework so that the arm 27 projects upwardly betweenthe guides 24. and in the path of the dumping Wheel 23 mounted 011 theshaft 21. A hook 31 is suspended from the outer end of the arm 28 inposition to engage beneath a curved finger 32 fixed to the upper end ofthe door 26. Vhen the tilting platform is given its initial forwardmovement the fin- .ger 32 will be moved over the end of the plate 25,but immediately after this position has been reached the door is openedvery quickly and the contents of the car are immediately discharged uponthe dumping plate. As the tilting platform returns to normal positionafter the dumping operation the door 26 closes under gravity and thebackward movement of the car and platform occasioned by the sharpcurvature of the guides 15 withdraws the finger 32 from the hook 31,permitting the parts to resume their normal position as shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have provided animproved hoisting and dumping apparatus which will positively dump thecars with a minimum amount of shock and jar to the structure and whichcan be readily controlled in its movements by the engineer. The forwardends of the guides 24 are also left open, as shown, to prevent injury tothe apparatus in the case of accidental overwind.- The tilting platformis normally supported at both ends on the floor 7 and is maintained in aposition of equilibrium and stability and, it will be observed, thataccidental sliding movement of the platform in a longitudinal directionis prevented by the guides 15 in which the rollers 16 always rest. Allof the tilting and operating mechanism is, located entirely above thefloor 7 so that there are no projecting parts or mechanism beneath thefloor which would require the construction of a sump beneath the cage. 7It is believed that the construction and operation of my invention willbe understood from the foregoing without further description and, whileI have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, itwill be obvious that various changes in its construction may be resortedto without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the materialadvantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cage floor,a platform normally supported by said floor in horizontal position,members projecting up.-

\vardly from said platform and floor and connected together above theplatform, and means cotiperating with said members for elevating therear end of the platform relatively to the cage floor. 1

2. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cage floor,a platform normally supported at its ends in horizontal position abovesaid floor, a guide mounted on the cage adjacent the rear end of theplatform, a fixed guide, pivotally connected links attached to the cagefloor and platform, respectively, and means cooperating with said guidesto tilt the platform and move the same forward bodily into dumpingposition.

3. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of acagefloor,acarcarrying platform disposed above said floor, a roller uponwhich the forward end of the platform is slidingly and tiltablysupported, a guide mounted on the cage adjacent the rear end of saidplatform, a fixed guide, and means including rollers on the platform andlinks pivotally connected together above the platform cooperating withsaid guides whereby the platform is moved relatively to the cage floorinto dumping position.

4. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cage floor,a tilting platform, and means for tilting and sliding said platform intodumping position, said means including a plurality of links connectedtogether above said platform and connected respectively with said cagefloor and said platform.

5. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cageprovided with a floor and side walls, a roller mounted adjacent theforward edge of said floor, a platform supported at its forward end onsaid roller, guides mounted 011 the cage side walls adjacent the rearends thereof, rollers secured to said platform and adapted to travel insaid guides, and means disposed above said platform for causing saidrollers to travel upwardly in the guides whereby the platform is tiltedand moved forwardly into dumping position.

6. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cageprovided with a floor, a platform disposed thereon, upwardly extendinglinks pivoted to the platform adjacent the rear end thereof, linkspivotally connected with the floor adjacent the forward edge thereofandextending upwardly therefrom, means connecting the upper ends of saidupwardly extending links, guides mounted on the cage, and stationaryguides mounted above the cage, said guides and links cooperating to tiltthe platform relatively to the floor and move the same forwardly intodumping position.

7. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus,

the combination of a cage provided with a floor, a platform disposedthereon, a pair of links pivoted to the platform adjacent the rear end,a second pair of links pivoted to the cage floor adjacent the front end,a rod connecting the free ends of the pairs of links above the cage,guide rollers mounted on the platform adjacent the rear end,

guides therefor, and fixed guides adapted to swing the connected ends ofsaid pairs of links forwardly whereby the platform is moved to dumpingposition.

8. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cageprovided with a floor, a tilting platform disposed thereon and adaptedto carry a dumping car, a plurality of pairs of links extending upwardlyfrom the cage, a rod connecting said links at their upper ends, andmeans positioned to be operated by said rod for opening the door of acar disposed on said cage.

9. I11 a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a movablehoisting cage, a car carried thereby and equipped with a door at theforward end thereof, a transversely extending rod supported above thecage, a bell-crank lever positioned with one arm in the path of thetravel of said rod, and a hook carried by the other arm in posi tion toengage with said car door whereby the door will be opened when thebell-crank lever is operated by said rod.

10. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a hoistingcage provided with a tilting platform, a car disposed thereon, means forguiding the rear end of said platform during its tilting movement, apair of links connected with said floor, a second pair of linksconnected with said platform, a rod connecting the free ends of saidlinks above the car, means for guiding the direction of travel of saidrod whereby the platform is tilted, and door opening means positioned inthe path of travel of said rod and adapted to be operated thereby,whereby the door of the car is opened when the platform has been movedto dumping position.

11. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, the combination of a cage, acar carried by said cage and having a dumping door at one end, a membercarried by the cage above the car, and means pivotally mounted in thehoisting tower in the path of movement of said member, to be actuated bysaid member, whereby upon tilting movement of the car the car door willbe opened.

12. In a hoisting and dumpin apparatus, the combination of a cage, aplatform supported above the bottom of said cage, and means for movingsaid platform into dumping position, said means including a plurality oflinks projecting upwardly from the rear end of the platform and from thecage adjacent the front end of the platform, respectively, said linksbeing connected to gether above said platform.

13. In a hoisting and dumping apparatus, together above the platform,and means cothe combination of a cage, a platform noroperating With saidmembers to tilt the platmally supported by said cage in horizontal formrelatively to the cage.

position, members projecting upwardly from ANDREl/VS ALLEN. 5 saidplatform, other members projecting up- WVitnesses:

wardly from the cage adjacent said plat- IRA J. WILSON,

form, all of said members being connected M. A. KIDDIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

